Blazing Inferno
by LollipopPOP
Summary: Charlie's store catches on fire after a Christmas party with most of the residents trapped inside
1. Chapter 1

Date – Season finale twenty ten

Storyline – Charlie's store catches on fire after a Christmas party with most of the residents trapped inside

Characters – Rachel, Zeke, Declan, Didge, Ringo, Donna, Kate, Summer, Andrew, Natasha, Sophie, Callum, Toadie, Sonya, Steph, Lucas, Elle, Rebecca, Oliver, Libby and many more

**Chapter One: Blazing inferno **

_Well I believe it all is coming to an end  
Oh well, I guess we're gonna pretend  
Let's see how far we've come  
Let's see how far we've come_

I think you turn, turn the clock, but I don't really know  
And I can't remember caring for an hour or so  
Started crying and I couldn't stop myself  
I started running but there's nowhere to run to  


**Rachel **

"Merry Christmas!" I cheered along with everyone else as the clock struck twelve. Looking around I noticed eight of our number had headed home. Libby, Callum, Sophie, Toadie, Sonya, Kate, Didge, India and Rebecca were gone.

"So, heading home soon?" Declan asked from beside me, I had sort of forgotten he was there as he'd been talking to his brother, while I'd struck up a conversation with Summer Hoyland. It'd been nice to see her again.

"I don't know" I shrugged downing the last mouthful of my orange juice "what about you? I thought you would have left already"

"No, I told Didge I'd meet her at home in an hour or so" he said "I probably should get going soon". The cheesy Christmas carols started up again from a CD player behind the bar Dec and I were leaning on. "Want to dance?" he asked, bowing and offering his hand. I laughed and took it.

We soon joined Ringo and Donna, Zeke and Kate, Lucas and Steph and Natasha and Andrew on the dance floor. "So enjoying being back in Erinsborough?" he asked as he spun me around

"I guess" I said stumbling as I came to a stop "it's been really good to see you all again and all, but I can't help but think Ramsay Street's a whole new world these days. He laughed and nodded

"I've got to agree with you there, I barely know what's going on half the time" he admitted. I was about to reply but was cut off by the strong smell of smoke and somebody coughing. "Dec, we have to get out of here now!" I exclaimed jerking my head towards the wall of fire emitting from the kitchen. He nodded and trying our best to keep together through a stampede of people we made our way to the door. We didn't have much luck and were soon knocked down by a rush of people. "It won't open!" Summer yelled from the front of the crowd as Declan and I scrambled up.

"Mum said that somebody had been messing with the locks or something" Declan spoke up from beside me "she said that they were faulty"

"Get down!" Dec yelled knocking me to the ground as something in the kitchen exploded, bringing the fire closer towards us.

"Dec you ok?" he didn't say anything, he didn't even move. "Declan!" I turned around to face him. He was lying on the ground, an angry burn down his arm and neck. He was unconscious and wasn't breathing. "Come on Dec, don't do this to me now, and please don't do this" I felt around for a pulse and luckily there was a faint one.

"Please Dec, breathe Dec please" I begged as I dragged him and I under the bar into what I hoped was a safer position. I could hear the ambulance and fire bridged sirens getting closer and closer, louder and louder.

"Just hold on please" I begged "help will be here soon"


	2. Chapter 2: Hospital Hate

**Chapter Two: Hospital Hate**

**Rachel**

"Is everyone ok?" I asked as I was wheeled into a hospital room

"I'm sure they'll all be fine" Susan tried to reassure me, but it wasn't working. I need to know if my friends and family were safe. I could see gurneys rushing past but I couldn't see who was on them because of everyone rushing beside them. "Is everyone ok?" I asked the nurse who was pushing me to my room

"No" was her only answer as we reached the room and she left. I really thought I was going to be sick.

**Donna**

"So have you heard anything?" I asked Kate who was pacing my small hospital room glancing out the window looking for something every few seconds.

"No" Kate sighed falling down into the chair by my bed

"So they're not letting you see anyone but me?" I asked pushing myself upwards. Feeling the pain in my left arm from being pushed into the bar during the stampede I decided against it

"I've seen uh Summer, Andrew and Elle" she told me running a hand through her hair "but I haven't heard anything about anyone else"

"Are they ok?" I asked, she didn't seem to have heard me and was staring at my arm

"Oh my god, Donna what happened to your arm?" she asked

"Huh what?" I suddenly remember the dark purple bruise that was previously hidden by the blanket "oh I got pushed into the bar"

"Why didn't you tell me, it must hurt"

"I've been to worried basically all my friend's lives are in danger after all"

"Oh" she said

**Rebecca**

I'd been sitting in the waiting room for what seemed like hours waiting for news on everyone but especially Declan, Oliver, Elle and Andrew. I couldn't help but feel like this is all my fault, it was my bar that caught on fire. Could I have done something to prevent this?

"Do you think he's going to be ok?" Bridget asked a sleeping India in her arms

"He's a Napier, we don't give up this easily" I told her rubbing her arm in an attempt to comfort, she gave me a soft smile in return

**Rachel**

"Hey" Didge smiled as she opened the door to my room and stepped inside "do you want some water or something?" I shook my head, I really only wanted to talk to someone.

"Have you heard anything?" I croaked out

"No, I'm sorry" she sighed "how are you, are you ok?"

"I'm worried and sore, that about covers it" I sighed sliding further down into the bed "I just wish this never happened

"Don't we all"

**Kate **

I'd given up on pacing Donna's room as she'd fallen asleep. I'd now taken up pacing the corridors hoping to catch a glimpse of one of my friends. I wasn't having much luck. I turned and headed back towards the waiting room. I hate hospitals, I hate the pure whiteness of everything and the fact that any kind of colour stuck out like a sore thumb, I hate the smell of cleaning products that follows you everywhere, I hate the fact that people are always, always dying all around you.

And I hate the fact that when I reached the waiting room everybody like they'd just been told that somebody had died.


	3. Chapter 3: The News

**Kate**

"Have there been any news?" I asked. Rebecca stood up, Paul close behind keeping as close to her as he could. He was already in danger of losing his daughter, his son and two step sons he needed to make sure Rebecca that there was no way he could lose Rebecca too.

"Donna's going to fine" Rebecca told me "they're releasing her soon, Summer, Lucas and Steph too" no one looked very happy though. Wasn't this great news?

"Elle's in surgery, they missed some internal bleeding" Paul chocked out from behind his wife "Declan stopped breathing and had to be put on a machine"

"Natasha's suffered some horrible burns" Rebecca continued "and Zeke's fallen into a coma that they say he's unlikely to wake from" Susan begun to cry behind Rebecca and Paul, Karl pulled her into a hug whispering something to her that only they could hear. Rebecca started to cry too falling into Paul who rubbed her back in a calming manner.

I turned and backed out of the waiting room ducking into Donna's room. She was sitting up straight on her bed fully dressed in some clothes that Paul or Rebecca must have bought her, her arm, the one that was bruised was bandaged and put in a sling.

"Are you okay?" Donna asked "you look like you're about to throw up"

"Have you heard?" Kate asked her friend "about everything?"

"Yeah" Donna said slowly. She went all quiet and still like all her energy had been zapped out of her body.

**Rachel**

I was going to have to spend the night in hospital and be released early next morning. I had a little bit of smoke inhalation and a small head injury they wanted to monitor but apart from that I was going to fine. But I wasn't worried about myself I was worried about everyone else. Especially Zeke, he'd already been through so much with the roof collapse and the rafting accident and now apparently he was in a coma that he had little chance of waking up from.

I wanted to see him so badly. He was my brother, the only brother I have. I need him in my life. I need all of them, Zeke, Declan, Ringo, Didge and Donna. They're my little family and I love them all with everything I have. I never, ever wanted to lose any of them.

Bridget stepped into my room without a word and leaned against the door. She had obviously been crying.

"Can I hide in here for a while?" she asked. Rachel nodded and Bridget sat down in the chair beside the bed. Bridget turned in on herself, curling up like a ball in the chair, tucking her head in between her chest and knees. It was quiet and soft but Didge was definitely crying.

I rolled over in an attempt to give her some privacy. I needed some sleep anyway.

_I'm standing at the bar in Charlie's again chatting with Declan. He suddenly laughs at whatever I said, throwing his head back. I laugh too; it's more of a girly giggle though. Declan's face suddenly turn very serious and then just as suddenly there's fire, everywhere. There's no escape. I can't run, can't hide. People are screaming, it's making my head hurt. I turn around to find Declan standing in front of me. He looks very angry. _

_"It's your fault" he snapped "it's your fault; I never should have tried to save you" people are circling me now, all of the people I can remember being in the fire. Tash's neck and shoulder are on fire and her face is contorted in pain. Elle is clutching her stomach, screaming and screaming. Zeke has his eyes closed, arms crossed over his chest. Still and silent as if he was dead. Declan has his hands clamped over his throat trying to breath but he can't. _

_Everyone else, Andrew, Oliver, Summer, Lucas, Steph and Donna are staring daggers at me._

_"Why them?" Donna suddenly asks "why not you?" _

_"Why my brother?" Oliver asks jerking his head towards Declan "all he ever did was try and protect you and now he's going to die for it?" _

_"Why Tash?" Summer adds "she was just getting her life back on track; she had so much to look forward to" _

_"Why my sister?" Andrew asks "I was just getting to know her, why not you?" they're coming in closer now all chanting "why not you, why not you?" _

_They all lunge for me, ready to attack _

And then I woke up with a scream. I must have woken Didge as she jumped out of her chair and rushed to my side.

"Are you okay?" she asked rubbing my back in what she probably thought was a comforting manner. It wasn't.

"Yeah fine, bad dream" I told her "how long was I asleep for?"

"About four hours" she told me gazing up at the clock "yeah, it's almost eight am"

"Really?" I asked pushing myself further up in the bed so I could get a look at the clock. She was right; it was about five to eight. As soon as the doctor saw me I could go home.

"Has there been any news?" I asked

"Elle's out of surgery" she told her flopping back down onto the chair "they say she should make a full recovery" I smiled at this; Elle was like a sister to Donna and was Declan's step-sister. They both really loved her and Donna would probably need her what with Declan and Zeke both on the brink of death.

"Have you heard about Ringo and Oliver?" I asked remembering that nobody had told us anything about either of them yet. Bridget nodded tears beginning to roll down her cheeks.

"Oliver's dead" I felt sick, like I was just going to lean over and empty the contents of my stomach right there and then. I didn't seem so bad when nobody was dead, like it was just some horrible nightmare that they'd all eventually wake up from.

"And...and Ringo?"

"Still now news"


End file.
